I Know it's Today
by Magi Magi Magician Gal
Summary: Inspired by Shrek. Co-written with Ranko twin. Yami was the most feared of all Duel Monsters, a Magician of Black Chaos. But when all of the other Duel Monsters in the land are banished to his home, Yami ends up going on a quest for Princess Rebecca. His job is to retrieve her future husband from a dragon guarded tower. Fun... right? Puzzle and Puppyshipping
1. Prologue-Chapter 1

**Ranko: Yo, guys! What's happening? So you want to hear a really funny joke I heard the other day? Okay, its goes like this…**

**MMMG: Step aside, Ranko!**

**Ranko: … No, that's not how it went.**

**MMMG: Is she always this dense?**

**Yami: Yep.**

**Yugi: Yami!**

**Jounouchi: Hey, guys!**

**Yugi: Jou?**

**Yami: What the hell are you doing here?**

**Ranko: I can't remember that joke…**

**MMMG: Will someone please let me explain everything!?**

**Seto: You are all idiots. **

**Yami: Not this guy too. **

**Seto: What did you say, Yami? **

**MMMG: This is my story and I want everyone to stop this chaos NOW! **

**Ranko: … Hmm… now I remember the joke!**

**MMMG: (sighs)**

**Ranko: Okay, let's forgot the joke. Hello, everyone! It's me, Ranko twin again, with…**

**MMMG: Magi Magi Magician Gal!**

**Ranko: And we are co-writing this lovely story together!**

**MMMG: And since we're merging stories, well…**

**Yugi: No, Jou! No hitting!**

**Jounouchi: I don't care if Magi Magi and Ranko are both Puppyshippers, I'm still going to kick your ass, Seto!**

**MMMG: There's going to be some chaos…**

**Ranko: But hey! It's all good. **

**MMMG: So this story is a YGO and Shrek crossover with our own little twist. **

**Yami: And I will be staring in it as always!**

**Ranko: Get out of here, Yami!**

**Yuugi: Will more characters being showing up?**

**Ranko & MMMG: Most likely!**

**Yuugi: Fan-tucking-fastic. More idiots…**

**MMMG: Well, you're a little ray of sunshine, aren't you? **

**Jounouchi: I'll do the disclaimer so we can get on with the damn story! The two authoresses do not own anything that involves Yu-Gi-Oh or Shrek or Shrek the Musical. All three belong to their respected owners/creators.**

**MMMG: Can I say it? **

**Ranko: Sure, why not?**

**MMMG: Enjoy the first chapter! It was inspired by the first part of Shrek the Musical, which we recommend watching if you haven't. **

* * *

Pairings

_Main_

Puzzleshipping (Yami x Yugi)

Puppyshipping (Seto x Joey)

_Side_

Tendershipping (Bakura x Ryou)

Bronzeshipping (Marik x Malik)

Chaseshipping (Tristan x Duke)

_One-sided/Eventual_

Replayshipping (Yugi x Rebecca)

Foreignshipping (Leon x Rebecca)

* * *

Prologue/Chapter 1

* * *

A seven year old boy groaned as he slowly stirred from his slumber. He looked around, studying his surroundings with dazzling crimson eyes. Anyone who saw the boy would think that he was completely normal; crimson eyes, spiky tri-colored hair (base, crimson tips, and blond bangs and lightning bolt streaks), tan skin, and… well, his face was the only thing that made him different. He had multiple black tattoos on his face -that went unnoticed- two downward facing boomerang markings on the sides of his face, one set on his cheekbones, and the other under his mouth.

Where was he? What was he doing here? He grabbed his head due to the splitting headache that made itself known. Slowly sitting up, the boy realized that the clothes he was wearing were torn and dirty. He glanced around again to see he was surrounded by… trees, grass, and to his left was… a stone building of some sort… a castle?

"Hello?" he asked, and his only response was the rustling of the leaves as a wind shook the tree branches. "Is anyone here?"

Again, nothing.

Getting up, the boy slowly made his way over to the castle. There was smoke rising from some areas, like they had recently been burned, and there were many holes in the wall surrounding the palace. The boy silently laughed to himself. Castle… more like a ruins. The building inside had holes in it as well, and some areas looked like they were going to fall down at any moment.

Moving carefully, the lad searched every area, hoping that he would find something, or someone, to tell him what was going on, and what had happened to this castle to cause it to crumble like this. He called out a few more times and looked in every corner that he thought someone could be hiding in, with a sort of childlike curiosity.

Seeing no one, he sat down in an area that had not that much rubble -the courtyard, perhaps?- and hugged his knees to his chest to try and keep warm. Some strange reality was settling in. He felt like crying, but some inner voice told him that crying was for those who were weak and he was not weak. But maybe… just this once. He buries his face in his knees to hide his tears

He was alone, and he couldn't even remember who he was.

* * *

A few months had passed since the boy had woken up near the ruined castle, and he still had no idea who he was or where he had come from. He had stayed there in hopes that someone would come looking for him -when in fact, he had grown accustomed to being alone- but there was also one other _little_ thing that stopped him. There was some sort of magical barrier around the castle lands that prevented him from leaving. He had tried a few times, and kept getting thrown back by some sort of magical force field,* so he stopped… multiple bruises and scratches later.

The boy at one point thought that perhaps he had once lived in the castle, but he had long ago scoured the castle ruins and had found nothing. Not even information about any previous rulers that might have lived there. And so life began to pass with a rhythm. A very_ boring_ rhythm.

Get up, eat breakfast food that appears by magic -it freaked him out at first too- wander around and try to find a clue about this place or him -or maybe read some old scrolls and try to understand what they're saying if he felt like it- eat lunch food that appears by magic, work on the ruined castle and try to fix the walls, perhaps play a game or two, eat dinner food that appears, of course, by magic, read more old scrolls and try to understand what they're saying, and then go to bed. Only to start the whole process over again the next morning.

Aside from food, some clothes had also magically appeared for him. All black, a tunic and some pants, along with some boots for his feet. There was also a bed with sheets that changed to keep him comfy during the night. But other than that, if the castle had to be fixed to be safe, he had to do it himself.

One day, as he fixed the wall, the boy heard something. Listening closely, he realized that it was voices. People! Someone was coming! Dropping the brick that he was holding, the boy ran to the shield that kept him in, hoping that the people would hear his voice, and that the shield didn't block sound as well.

Reaching the shield, the boy watched a group of people in fancy clothes walking by. The group was moving at a rather fast pace, which made the boy scared. They were walking right by the castle; they weren't looking for him! Frightened, the boy banged his fists on the shield, hoping to get their attention. Not one person even looked his way.

Except one.

A young boy with pale skin, star-shaped tri-colored hair that looked similar to his own hair, all except the lightning bolt streaks that shot up in his own (black base, amethyst tipped, and blond bangs), and wide amethyst eyes was being led by a beautiful young woman. The boy had fancy clothes, but didn't seem to care about that as he looked around, and occasionally escaped the woman's grip to look more closely at a flower or a bird.

One of the times the boy broke free to look at a chipmunk that was at the edge of the shield gathering seeds. Yami banged as hard as he could while shouting desperately, and the boy looked up. His eyes widened at the sight of the boy behind the shield. The boy stood as the one inside the flattened his hands against the enchanted shield. Amethyst eyes watched and he placed his open hands to mimic the others. Palms against palms as they looked at each other.

Finally, the woman noticed that the little boy was gone and started to look around widely for him. She noticed him standing with another boy about his age. At first she thought that she was happy her son was making a new friend and then she saw the shimmer of an enchanting barrier separating them. And for good reason, when she recognized the unique markings on the tanner boy's face…

"Yugi!" the woman cried desperately.

Her heart was beating wildly as she pulled the amethyst eyed boy away from the shield. Yugi was shocked by his mother's sudden actions and quickly dug his heels in the dirt, refusing the budge.

"No!" Yugi screamed as he tried to get out of the woman's grip. "He needs me! Yami needs me!"

The boy on the other side of the shield stared, fascinated. Yami? Was that his name? At the thought swirled in his mind, a yelp brought him back to reality.

Yugi had kicked the woman in her leg and had run back to the shield to place his hands back where Yami's were. In truth, Yugi didn't know the boy's name, but he was dressed in all black, like shadows, like the darkness. It made sense to the boy who had just turned seven years old.

A surge of energy filled the two boys, who looked at each other in shock. Yami raised his face to look at the shield, which was reacting funnily. It was… breaking? Disintegrating? Yami didn't have time to ponder the thought, another rush of magical energy ran through him and Yugi, and this time it sent them both flying backwards.

Yugi crashed into his mother while Yami was thrown against a tree before he crumbled to the ground. Little Yugi was fussed over, much to the boy's displeasure, so he pouted cutely. He wanted to know if Yami was alright, he noticed he had hit that tree pretty hard, and slipped through his grandfather's legs so he could go see. When he got to where the shield was, nothing stopped him from walking right on through to the castle grounds. Hearing a moan, Yugi quickly found the knocked out Yami, but was pulled away by his father.

"Stay away from him son." Yugi's father ordered.

"But why?" Yugi wanted to know, confused as to why he couldn't check on his friend.

"He's a Duel Monster, and one of the more dangerous ones." Yugi's father explained. "A _Magician of Black Chaos_. You can tell by the black markings on his face."

"But he doesn't look dangerous." Yugi protested.

"Looks can be deceiving." Yugi's father replied as he picked up his son to carry him away. "Many Duel Monsters are friendly, but there are some that will willingly hurt you. A _Magician of Black Chaos_ is one of them."

Yugi didn't reply. He looked over his father's shoulder at the young boy who lay unconscious under the tree. Yami didn't seem dangerous, in fact, he looked lonely. Yugi thought Yami probably was lonely since he had been sealed away behind that shield. Just like how he would be in a few hours…

* * *

Yami woke with a soft groan and held his head. Why did he have to wake with headaches? Amethyst eyes flashed through his memory, and Yami looked around. The sun had set long ago, leaving him in darkness. All alone… again. The boy, Yugi, was gone. But so was the shield.

Very carefully, Yami stepped passed the boundary, preparing himself to be thrown back. Nothing happened. He was free to leave! He could leave the castle! And the first thing Yami wanted to do was to find Yugi and thank him. Running in the direction Yami had seen the group walking, he found a small village about half an hour later.

"Excuse me, have you seen-?" Yami tried to ask a woman.

"AAAAHHHH!" the woman screamed and ran away from him, tripping over her feet.

Yami stood in confusion. What was wrong? Had a dragon followed him without him knowing? Yami looked over his shoulder only to see nothing. Turning back, Yami was shocked to see men running at him with torches and pitchforks.

"Get out of here!" one man yelled as he threw his pitchfork.

Yami stumbled back to keep from getting hit. What was going one? Why were they doing this? Had he done something wrong and these people sealed him up in the castle? Was that why he was locked away all this time?

"We don't want your kind here!" another man yelled as his torch sailed very close to Yami's head.

Yami turned and ran. He was scared of these people. Then again, he was only seven. Racing back into the woods, Yami kept running as fast as he could. The men were following him, he could hear them. Looking back over his shoulder, Yami didn't see someone standing on the path he was on until he ran into them.

The collision knocked Yami onto his backside. Looking up at the person, Yami started to apologize but stopped. The man had soft looking brown hair and warm brown eyes, along with tanned skin like his own. But he was dressed in purple robe and armor, and had a large staff with a green jewel on the top. Instinct told Yami that this man was a magician, and was possibly a Duel Monster as well.

"There he is!" a man from the village shouted.

Yami jumped up in fear and leapt to the side to avoid getting skewered by another pitchfork. The magician he had run into raised his staff and sent a ball of magic at the men, making them turn and run away in fear. Lowering his staff, the man looked to Yami, who was still trembling.

"It's alright now young one." the magician said in a soothing voice as he lowered himself to one knee to look Yami in the eyes. "They're gone."

"Thank you." Yami whispered.

"My name is Mahad, and I am a _Dark Magician_." Mahad smiled gently. "Why were they chasing you?"

"I don't know." Yami shook his head. "I just wanted to ask if they had seen a boy with amethyst eyes with a group of other people."

"You went to their village?" Mahad asked with a frown, and Yami nodded. "That was very dangerous. The people there don't like Duel Monsters like us, and will use any means necessary to keep them away from their homes."

"But why?" Yami asked.

Mahad looked at the young boy in shock. All of the Duel Monsters knew to avoid the human villages. Well, some like _Kuriboh_ and _Marshmallon_ were cute enough to be kept as pets, but most others like the magicians, dragons and their bonded 'tamers', giant bugs and dinosaurs, were seen as monsters, looked upon in fear, and were driven away. How did this child not know?

Unless… did his parents abandon him? That would explain it.

"What is your name child?" Mahad asked kindly.

"I don't know, but I think that it is Yami." Yami replied. "I woke up in a castle ruins a few months back with a shield around it that kept me from leaving. It was broken today by a boy with amethyst eyes. I wanted to thank him."

"Yami, I need you to listen to me." Mahad said firmly. "You can't go looking for the boy. Many of the humans around here fear and hate the Duel Monsters because they don't understand them. If you try to find this boy, you will more than likely end up killed."

"But…" Yami looked to Mahad with a sad face.

"I know." Mahad replied as he stood back up and held out his hand to Yami. "Come with me. You have much to learn, young magician."

"What?" Yami asked with a confused look.

"You are a _Magician of Black Chaos_, one of the rarer magicians." Mahad explained. "I've only met one besides you, and you are in need of guidance. I will teach you what I can, but some you will have to learn on your own."

Yami stared at Mahad's hand hesitantly for a moment. As much as he wanted to find Yugi, he knew had to get stronger so he could get passed the humans without getting hurt. Asking Mahad to take him to find Yugi would be asking way too much from the man he had just met. Yami nodded and slid his hand into Mahad's.

That night, he made a vow to himself; he would learn to be the greatest _Magician of Black Chaos_ ever, and once he did, he would find Yugi.

* * *

One of the first things that Yami learned was that Mahad was one tough teacher. He made sure that Yami learned everything he could learn. Mahad taught Yami had to cast spells, how to make a staff to help guide his magic easier, how to make his own food and clothes, how to heal his own injuries, and all he needed to know about humans and Duel Monsters alike.

The years went by, and in all honesty, Yami had forgotten about Yugi. His goal was now to protect himself from the humans who wanted to hurt him. Once Mahad had finished training him, Yami went back to the castle ruins, and found that the place was still deserted. So that's where he made his home, since people and Duel Monsters alike avoided the destroyed palace.

By the time he turned 17, Yami was a full-fledged _Magician of Black Chaos_. People and Duel Monsters avoided the temperamental magician. But just in case of the occasional hunter or mob wandered a bit too close to his home, Yami had plenty of traps, magical and non-magical.

All Yami desired was to be left alone so he could perform his magic in peace. And it was his plan for it to stay that way.

* * *

*If you need a better visual, think of the shield that kept Vanellope from leaving _Sugar Rush_ in 'Wreck-it Ralph'

* * *

**Ranko: And that is the end of chapter 1!**

**MMMG: Not bad for a first chapter. **

**Yami: Ranko! You nearly had me skewered by a pitchfork!**

**Ranko:**** Actually...**

**MMMG: That was my idea. **

**Yami: What!?**

**Yugi: Uh-oh. He's going to have a meltdown since MMMG is usually nicer to him. **

**MMMG: At least I didn't kill him like I did in 'Son of Ra'. **

**Ranko: She has a point. **

**Yami: Shut up! I'm to pretty to die! AAAAAHHHHHH!**

**Ranko & MMMG: Okay... **

**Jou: ~Awkward~.**

**Seto: For once, I agree. **

**Jou: Did you people hear that?**

**Ranko: Who cares?**

**MMMG: And to those of you who are waiting for the next chapter of 'Why did it come to this?', I'm terribly sorry, but my home internet is very limited right now. I watch the Yu-gi-oh episodes online, on Hulu. But, the entire first season of Yu-gi-oh just re-came out on DVD! Season 2 will come out on Nov. 5th, and Season 3 on Jan. 14th, 2014.**

**Ranko: No way! You're serious?**

**MMMG: Yep! So once my order gets to Wal-Mart, I'll be able to finish typing chapter 29 of 'WDICTT?'.**

**Yugi: That is good news. **

**Yami: AAAAAAAHHHHHH!**

**Yugi: I'll go take care of him. -drags Yami out of the room-**

**Ranko: Please review people! Let us know what you liked/disliked, any spelling/grammar mistakes we may have missed, or questions you have. See you next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ranko: Magi Magi?**

**MMMG: What?**

**Ranko: I'm sad.**

**MMMG: Why?**

**Ranko: Because everyone keeps predicting what's going to happen in this story when we haven't even gotten that far yet! I swear, it is either we are really predictable or our readers are really smart. **

**Yami: Well…**

**Ranko & MMMG: Shut up, Yami. **

**Seto: Hmph (smiles)**

**Ranko: Now there's one more dead puppy in the world. **

**MMMG: Yugi, why is your Yami such…?**

**Ranko: An ass? A little bitch? A whiny—?**

**MMMG: Yeah, that. **

**Yami: Because Ranko abuses me! Have you never read the Shadow Game series?! … which, can be found on Ranko twin's profile. **

**Ranko: (sighs) Yugi, take care of him. Now. **

**Yugi: On it (drags Yami away). **

**Yami: No! Spare me!**

**Yugi: It's your fault for shamelessly advertising!**

**Jou: Well… that happened. **

**Ranko: Before we get anymore off track, let's answer reviews, shall we? **

* * *

**(For these reviews, Underlined names were answered by Ranko Twin, and _Italicized names_ were answered by MMMG)**

**YinYang Moon Dragon:**** Hold up, hold up, hold up! Before we get any further, what kind of cookies and cakes are we talking about hear? But in all seriousness, we love you too! I always appreciate it when I hear that someone enjoys my writing and tells me I am one of their favorite authors, (MMMG: Ahem, you mean "us").**

**_Animesaki:_**** Sound like you like Ranko twin and I. That's good. And what story are you thinking of that had Yami as a _Magician of Black Chaos_? Hee-hee-hee! Throwing off predictions is what we love to do. Sorry, can't tell you if any of your guesses are correct, Ranko will kill me. (Ranko: Will not!) Okay, she'll hurt me for a week or two. Trust me, I wish I had the money to buy the next season of Yu-gi-oh DVDs as well.**

**_Wordsorcereress:_**** Ten rounds of chocolate and a hot tub?! (Ranko: Me first!) Save some for me! Anyway, glad you're hooked and that you enjoyed the backstory for Yami. Yugi free Yami was cute, -MMMG and Ranko fangirl squeal at the chibi Yugi and Yami- We liked the idea of having Mahad as Yami's teacher to, but we know you're going to hate what happens to him in this chapter. Read on to find out what happens.**

**_Killer-Fangirl:_**** Yeah, people are being prejudice about spellcasters in general for the Duel Monsters. And no, Yami is not Yugi's Ka monster. Yami is his own person, and Yugi changes into a Duel Monster by night, (it's his curse).**

**Firewing Pegasus:**** I know, I'm excited for this story! I refuse to give out any spoilers though, so I will not say whether your assumptions are right or not. We shall see, Ishizu, we shall see ;)**

**Mana's Madness:**** Ahem, you mean GENIUSES? (MMMG: Ignore her.) Thank you, darling, and I love your new profile picture ;)**

**_Animelover0818:_**** We're not sure about adding music yet. Maybe. **

**guardian of the aura Aurasoul:**** I know! It's craziness! I blame Magi Magi for writing it like that! (MMMG: Hey!) Sorry, darling, but how could you? (MMMG: Now you sound like a reviewer Ranko…)**

**_s2Teennovelist:_**** We're topping you? (Ranko: Victory Dance!) Wow, unexpected, but completely welcomed. Except for the dancing. (Ranko: Hey!) Yeah, Yugi and Yami have true love already, even as kids. The prejudice does suck, but we needed some way to get Yami to go fetch Yugi from the dragon guarded tower. And Yami forgetting Yugi? We're going to say that he became so focused on becoming stronger, he forgot about Yugi. Plus he has some amnesia issues that pop up from time to time. **

* * *

**Seto: So… Magi Magi and Ranko made me say this (because Yami and Yugi are doing Ra knows what right now), but, if Ranko or MMMG did not answer your review, it's not because they didn't want to, they were probably just lazy. So, yeah, we'll send you a refund if your review wasn't answered. **

**Ranko: Seto, they didn't pay to review! … Did they?**

**MMMG: (shrugs). And Seto, if we didn't answer a review, it was because we weren't sure how to answer, not because we were lazy. **

**Seto: Whatever. I still say you're lazy.**

**Jou: That's your opinion. The two authoresses do not own anything that involves Yu-Gi-Oh or Shrek or Shrek the Musical! All three belong to their respected owners/creators. **

**Ranko: Please enjoy…**

**MMMG: Chapter 2!**

* * *

Chapter 2

* * *

"Princess Rebecca!" a royal messenger cried urgency as he ran as fast as he could throughout the castle halls, looking for the young princess, his face flushed red and he was breathing heavily. "Princess Rebecca!"

A maid saw him running down the halls in her direction and stopped, curious as to what be so important. The messenger saw the young woman stop and skidded to a halt in front of her. He bent over, resting his hands on his knees to try and catch his breath. He knew that it was uncivil for a man to act this way in front of a lady, but he was tired!

"Miss, have you seen Princess Rebecca?" he asked, after recovering enough of his breath to speak.

"Yes, she is in the library." she informed him. "Um, if you don't mind my asking, what…?"

But before she could even get out the last of her sentence, the young messenger was sprinting back down the halls. She stared after him, blinking her wide eyes and then knitted her eyebrows together.

"Hmph." she pouted before picking up her skirts and returning to her work.

The royal messenger reached the library and leaned against the great, wide doors for a moment to compose himself. He was about to address the Princess, he could not go in looking so sloppy. He returned his breathing to normal, slicked back his hair to its pristine state, and smoothed out any wrinkles in his clothes.

Then he opened the door and stepped into the library. He saw the young Princess lounging in a very plush chair with her nose in a book. Her glasses were perched on her nose and her long blonde hair was tucked behind her ears. He cleared his throat to gain the Princess's attention.

The Princess looked up, startled, her eyes still in a hazy, dreamlike state; every time she finished reading, it felt as if she were waking up from a dream. She recognized the messenger; she smiled in greeting to him and sat up straighter, marking her book and putting it to the side.

"Hello Tristan, how are you doing today?" she asked politely.

"I am fine, my lady." Tristan blew out a heavy sigh. "But I have an urgent message for you."

"Then tell me this message immediately." Rebecca's eyes became sharper behind her glasses.

"Leon has returned from his journey." Tristan announced.

Rebecca smiled; that was good news. Her childhood friend and advisor, Leon, had gone out on a long journey and they have not heard any word of him since them. Rebecca was of marrying age, according to the Royal Council, and they find it troubling that she has not been courted at least once. They demanded of her that she find a suitable husband to help her run the kingdom, especially since her grandfather had fallen ill recently. As soon as Leon heard of this news, he packed his bags to go on a journey across the kingdom to find a suitable husband for Rebecca. He left two months ago, and he has just now returned.

"That is wonderful news!" Rebecca exclaimed as she rose from her chair and smoothed out her gown, clapping her hands together.

"Yes, Princess Rebecca, but you see…" Tristan gulped nervously and felt his palms begin to sweat.

"What is it?" Rebecca tilted her head curiously and stared at Tristan confusedly.

"Well, you see, my lady, it is not completely good news." Tristan replied tensely.

"What do you mean?" Rebecca asked, a feeling of unease settling in her stomach.

"Well…" Tristan bit his lip as his shoes suddenly became quite interesting.

"Tristan!" Rebecca suddenly snapped out, making the older man jump. "Tell me what is going on!"

"He is hurt, my lady." Tristan replied.

It was then that Rebecca felt like the world had just pulled the rug out from under her feet. Leon… her advisor, her servant, her _friend_, was injured. In all of her years of knowing the young man, Leon had never gotten wounded besides a paper cut or an accidental prick on a rose thorn.

"What?" Rebecca gasped.

"He returned, my lady, but he was badly injured." Tristan said sympathetically. "He seems to have been attacked by a great beast. I am so sorry, Princess,"

Rebecca lowered her head, her bangs shadowing most of her face. The sight made Tristan feel rather uncomfortable. Rebecca wasn't responding at all.

"Um, Princess?" Tristan asked.

"Take me to him." Rebecca whispered softly.

"What?" Tristan furrowed his eyebrows together, leaning in closer to hear better.

"Take me to him." Rebecca commanded. "Take me to see Leon!"

Tristan jumped back at Rebecca's sudden outburst. But in all honesty he understood, since he would probably have reacted the same way if his lover, Duke, had been badly hurt. Then he smoothed back his hair again and cleared his throat.

"Follow me, Princess." Tristan said softly, leading her out of the library.

Rebecca seemed to be leading him more than he was leading her. She was walking at such a brisk pace, the clink of heels echoing off the walls. Honestly, how did she walk so fast? Especially in heels and a skirt!

When they got to the Infirmary, it was as if they had been waiting for them the entire time. Men and women dressed in white stood around a single bed and it looked as if they had been staring at the door, just waiting for it to open.

Tristan was impressed to see that Rebecca kept her face neutral as she walked closer to the doctors and nurses; everyone was strangely silent as they waited to see Rebecca's reaction to seeing Leon in the state he was in now.

Tristan had seen Leon before. The boy was stark white, his freckles no longer noticeable on his face. Sweat plastered his long, pink hair to the back of his neck and his face. His breathing was heavy with a horrible, long gash that was slashed across his chest. It did not look like any normal beast could cause an injury like that.

Rebecca looked at her friend's pained, unconscious face was she felt her heart ache. She reached out and swept his wet bangs to the side; his whole face was hot with a fever.

"How did it happen?" Rebecca asked, not looking up from Leon's face.

"We are not sure, my lady." one of the doctors replied. "We only know that the injury must have been caused by some Duel Monster."

Rebecca dropped her hand to her side and clenched her fists. She felt a new kind of anger that she had never felt before course through her blood. All of that hate was directed towards Duel Monsters. They hurt her only friend; she would not tolerate it.

"I want all Duel Monsters to be banished from the kingdom." Rebecca said firmly and clearly.

"M-my lady?" Tristan questioned.

"Are you deaf?" Rebecca asked, turning around and staring at him with burning blue eyes. "I want all Duel Monsters to be banished from the kingdom! Drive them out! Spread the word somehow! I want all rare and susceptible Duel Monsters to be arrested and brought to the palace for questioning as well. Understood?"

Tristan stood there, gaping at his future Queen's orders. _All_ of the Duel Monsters were to be banished? Even the pet _Kuribohs_' and _Marshmallons_' who had done nothing wrong, except maybe chew on a sock or two like a dog would? Despite his feeling on the order, Tristan knew he had to obey, or he would be subject to the same punishment as the Duel Monsters.

"Yes, my lady." Tristan mumbled as he bowed low at the waist.

Rebecca nodded and turned on her heel, walking past Tristan. She almost made it out the door when Tristan stopped her with a question.

"What about the search for your husband, my lady?" Tristan asked.

Rebecca stood there silent for a moment. She actually had given it a lot of thought and had a plan in case if Leon's search had failed. The princess had heard rumors about a Duel Monster that could see into the future, and it was one of the rarer ones, hence her order for all of the rare and susceptible Duel Monsters to be brought in for questioning.

"The search will continue." Rebecca replied. "Find me the _Goddess with the Third Eye_."

* * *

Usually, once every year, Mahad went to visit his apprentice, Yami, to see how he was doing. It was just an annual check-up, really. Make sure Yami's eating right, getting plenty of rest, hasn't been killed yet (or killed anyone). He considered it his job as Yami's unofficial guardian. He said unofficial because Yami didn't know that Mahad considered himself Yami's guardian.

But Mahad had watched the boy grow up. He saw Yami transition from being a scared little boy who didn't know where he was or who he was, to a self-confident, strong young man. He was there during all of Yami's fails and all of his successes. Mahad taught the boy how to embrace his nature and use his magic efficiently.

He was rather proud of Yami, though he would never tell the boy that. That type of comment would make Yami more egotistical than he already was.

Anyway, every time Mahad traveled to see Yami, he always had to cut through the village that was by Yami's castle. There was really no other way. He always changed his purple armor to purple robes and added a brown outer robe with a hood to hide the purple robes, one of the signs that he was a Duel Monster. Usually he passed through the village quickly, keeping his head down and walked briskly. But this time, something interesting happened this time he was passing through town.

Mahad was stopped by the sound of crying. He peaked up past his hood and sucked in a sharp breath through his nostrils when he saw what it was. There was a long line of Duel Monsters that were all bound together by chains. They were being ushered into a prison cart as if they were cattle. There were so many of them, of all different forms and types. Dragon tamers, magicians, beasts, insects, zombies, and even the _Kuribohs_ and _Marshmallons_. What was going on? He dared go a little closer to the crowd that had formed around the spectacle.

"Citizens!" a man who bore the Royal Crest of the kingdom over his left breast stood addressing the crowd with a loud enough voice for everyone to hear him. "It is by Princess Rebecca's royal decree that all Duel Monsters of every kind be turned in and banished from the kingdom. If you are hiding away any Duel Monsters than you will be charged with the same fate."

Worried murmurs traveled throughout the crowd at this news. Most were from the parents who knew that their children would hide the cute little Duel Monsters they had for a pet.

The magician in the crowd felt anger build up inside him. Mahad knew that he needed to calm down or else he would reveal that he was a Duel Monster and be taken away too. He could not just stand there and let this happen, not when his own kind was being taken away in chains like common criminals. His anger slowly built up inside of him, which would fuel his magic. He felt his staff materialize in his hand, ready to cast a spell. He was done for…

"I don't think so!" a new voice called out.

Everyone in the crowd stood stock-still and then looked up where the voice came from. They saw a large, black form with giant, leathery wings; it nearly blocked out the sun. Mahad immediately knew what that was, a dragon. And with every dragon, there was always a Tamer… As if on cue, a human shaped figure rose up to stand on the dragon's back and then jumped down from it. People shielded their eyes as the man dropped from such a large height but he landed gracefully on his feet in front of the announcer.

The man was tall and lean with sleek gear on which was the standard for any dragon tamer. He had shaggy blond hair that fell messily across his face, almost completely covering his unique eyes, which were golden with a glow of red in them. His outfit did not have any sleeves so anyone could see the tattoo of a Red Eyes Black Dragon on his forearm. The tattoo began to pulsate and glow as the man drew the power of the Red Eyes back into his body.

"I will not let you take away these innocent Duel Monsters!" the tamer said and pointed an accusing finger at the announcer.

The announcer stepped down from his small podium with a scowl, and began to advance towards the Tamer, brandishing his sword. This 'boy', this stupid 'Tamer', was biting off more he could chew.

"Oh, so what are you going to do about it?" he asked, waving his sword threateningly.

The tamer grinned mischievously, and the announcer took this as some kind of challenge, so he immediately charged at the blond. Right when he thought he would drive the sword through the tamer's chest, the man jumped into the air and just floated there. The blond grinned down at the other man and waved.

"I'm sorry, was that sword supposed to kill me?" the tamer taunted. "So sorry, but I don't think that I can let that happen."

The dragon tamer ran through the air to the prison cart where the Duel Monsters were and quickly unlatched the lock. Even if he got caught in the process, at least the innocents would go free.

"Okay, get out of here!" the tamer encouraged.

The Duel Monsters jumped out of the cart hurriedly -no longer bound by chains thanks to a small spell by Mahad- and ran as fast as they could away from that area, towards the forest. The announcer growled low in his throat and looked up at the cocky blond man.

"Don't just stand around there!" the announcer barked at the soldiers who were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. "Recapture those Duel Monsters!"

The blond haired man landed gracefully again and as soon as his feet hit the ground, he took off running to the deep recesses of the forest, his dragon following with a roar of triumph. The announcer pulled together all of the soldiers who were not preoccupied.

"Follow that tamer!" the announcer demanded.

The small group of man nodded in understanding and turned to follow their captain.

'_This is where I step in_,' Mahad thought as he felt his fingers curl around his staff and he quickly stood in front of their path, blocking the men.

"Out of our way!" the captain barked out in rage.

Mahad lowered his hood and smiled kindly at the men, brandishing his staff as he tossed aside his brown outer cloak and changed his robes to his traditional purple armor. The soldiers looked at him in fear as the realized that he was a _Dark Magician_. Ah, he felt like he was scolding Yami all over again.

"I'm sorry." Mahad apologized with a hint of sarcasm. "I don't think I can let you do that."

And with that, the Magician leapt forward to keep the soldiers occupied while the Duel Monsters, and more specifically that tamer, escaped. Mahad fired magic blasts at the soldiers' feet, not intending to harm them, but to keep them distracted and force them to stay back while his kin fled. Some of the soldiers managed to get around him and ran into the forest. Mahad cursed and then howled in pain.

A whip with metal spikes on the end had wrapped into his arm, making him drop his staff in his shock. More whips flew out and wrapped themselves around Mahad's limbs until he fell to the dusty street in defeat. The magician was dragged along to the castle to be held in the dungeons, losing blood, and he couldn't heal himself without his staff.

Mahad had been captured.

* * *

The tamer ran through the forest as fast as his legs could carry him while his dragon, the _Red Eye Black Dragon_ that was named Reddoaizu*, flew over the tree tops so he could keep an eye on his tamer. Joey could hear the soldiers behind him, and that only encouraged him to run faster.

Looking over his shoulder, Joey suddenly tripped over a tree root and tumbled down a steep hill. The blond grunted in pain before he crashed into something else. That something fell down with a grunt of pain, telling Joey it was a someone as their legs settled on his back. Joey looked to tell the one he had crashed into he was sorry, but found himself face to face the end of a glowing staff. Wide eyes followed the staff to the hand, and then to the arm, and then to the face, and then to the black boomerang tattoos on the face.

Oh, shit.

The _Magician of Black Chaos_ stood back up as he kept his staff in Joey's face, making the blond shiver in terror. Reddoaizu roared and dove out of the trees, thinking his tamer was in danger. The magician turned his staff to the _Red Eye Black Dragon_ to keep himself from being torn to shreds, and threw a spell, a white circle that attached around the dragon's middle. It was a spell that Yami like to call _Spellbinding Circle_, holding Reddoaizu still in one place.

"Over here!" one of the soldiers shouted, making the magician turn.

The soldiers ran down the hill and stopped when they saw the _Magician of Black Chaos_. Joey took advantage of the distraction and scooted over to Reddoaizu, as the white circle faded from around the dragon and the magic flowed back into Yami's staff.

"You there!" the captain called to Yami as he and his men stopped and panted for breath a few meters away. "Magician."

"What?" Yami asked with a frown.

Soldiers never came this close to his home unless someone brought them there. And it looks like it was the blond haired dragon tamer who had done it this time. Whoop-dee-doo.

"By order of Princess Rebecca…" the captain pulled out a scroll to read the edict written on it. "I am authorized to place both you and the dragon tamer under arrest… so you both can be moved to… a designated resettlement facility."

Yami had stalked closer as the man read. Despite his short height, he was very intimidating with his crimson eyes and black tattoos. The eyes narrowed as a smirk appeared on his face.

"Oh really?" Yami asked as he looked behind the captain with a feral grin. "You and what army?"

The captain turned back to see that all of his men were gone. They had run away at the look on Yami's face. Turning back the captain got a face full of glowing staff. With a shriek not appropriate for a captain of the guard, the man turned and fled after his comrades, and received a minor stinging spell to his bottom as he ran.

Yami nodded his head at his work and turn to head back home, ignoring the dragon and the dragon tamer. Mahad's annual visit was due any day, so he had to get ready by making sure that the guest room was prepared and that they both had enough to eat.

But he hadn't counted on having a couple of tag-alongs.

* * *

*Reddoaizu- the Japanese Phonetics for Red-Eyes

* * *

**MMMG: And that's the end of chapter 2. **

**Ranko: We're evil leaving it there. **

**MMMG: Yes we are, especially since you're going to be focusing on NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing/Writer's Month) this next month, and won't be writing any of your normal stories again until the end of November to the start of December. **

**Ranko: Yeah... maybe you could write the chapters and I'll beta read them or something.**

**MMMG: We'll work it out. **

**Seto: My three _Blue Eyes White Dragon_ cards says they can't. **

**MMMG: You mean these _Blue Eyes White Dragon _cards? -hold up the _BEWD_ cards and the _Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon_ fusion monster card-**

**Seto: How did you get those?**

**MMMG: Wal-Mart had some awesome booster packs. **

**Seto: Get back here! -chases MMMG out of the room-**

**Joey: Go MMMG! Keep those cards away!**

**Ranko: Guess it's up to us to finish Joey.**

**Joey: Okay. Please review! Let us know what you liked/disliked, if you spotted any spelling/grammar errors, or you just have a question that you want answered.**

**Ranko: Until next time.**

**MMMG: -calls as she runs passed the room door- Bye!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ranko: Hey guys! So yeah…it's been a while, huh? Imagine that. So…how've you been?**

**MMMG: You can kill her, just not me.**

**Ranko: Nyeh?!**

**Jounouchi: Nyeh…Really?**

**Yugi: Ranko likes to make unnecessary abridged references. **

**Ranko: Why is everyone being so mean to me?**

**Seto: Because…(pulls out black notebook) Because of the little comment you made in last chapters introduction note, our reviews decreased. **

**MMMG: I didn't know Seto was Kyouya… **

**Ranko: I was just needed to have something to say at the beginning, it was a joke but some people took me literally. TT^TT**

**Yami: Ranko has a bad case of foot-in-mouth syndrome.**

**Seto: If some of the readers actually know what foot-in-mouth syndrome is, I would be impressed. **

**Yugi: Well…that's rude. **

**Jounouchi: You're a jerk, Seto!**

**MMMG: I still love you, Ranko!**

**Ranko: Senpai noticed me!**

**MMMG: So anyway, the point is that we are back and we finally put have the new chapter out for your reading pleasure!**

**Ranko: Sorry it took so long, I think that Magi Magi and I were both very busy last month. I should also be updating on my own separate stories soon (if not already) depending on when this chapter is posted. **

**MMMG: So just like last time, if you name is underlined, Ranko has answered them. If they are _italicized,_ I have answered them.**

* * *

**Mana's Madness: ****I guess this story will just be full of surprises, huh? ;) I am also eagerly awaiting the puzzleshipping in this story! XD**

**guardian of aura Aurasoul: ****I know! Mahad is too precious to be captured! TT^TT (hits MMMG for writing it like that) I know how you feel; I love Yami to death but he can be quite a little bitch at times ;)**

_**Wordsorcereress: Lots of people seem to like the Joey Dragon Tamer twist. I hate that I was right, but Mahad getting captured had to happen. But you're right, Yami is going to be ticked off once he finds out what happened to Mahad. Yeah, adding backstory is fun, something I've noticed that you seem to be good at. Stop blushing, you know you are. LOL. I also love the 'You and what army?' line. It just had to stay. We'll see if your fortune teller prediction is right, **_**next _chapter, sorry about the wait. Keep guessing, we like the ideas that people throw at us sometimes._**

_**s2Teennovelist: Thank you! Yeah, we had to have some sort of backstory/reason for Rebecca to go ballistic, and Leon getting hurt works great. And you're right about Leon not wanting all Duel Monsters to get punished, but he is currently in a coma and can't tell Rebecca so. Yugi does change into a duel monster, we haven't figured out which yet, so thanks for the Silent Magician**** suggestion. Glad you like Mahad's and Joey's character roles. And yes, Yugi does remember Yami, shhh, don't tell anyone. **_

_**Killer-Fangirl: Yes, Rebecca will end up with Leon. Remember in chapter 1 under the pairings the story was going to have, it said: 'Eventual/One-sided: Foreignshipping (Leon x Rebecca).**_

**Animelover0818: I am so happy that we could make you smile :D I guess that just means we're doing our jobs right, huh?**

**_Animesaki: At least you had some predictions correct. Yeah, go ahead and look for the story. Thanks for telling Seto off, we needed that._**

******FireWing Pegasus: I think that NaNoWriMo is the coolest thing! ^_^ Did you get all your words in? And you do know that it was 50,000 not 30,000, right? Well, I hope that you had as much fun as I did while doing it!**

******Akayuki Sawada: Mahad! No! The precious baby! My obsession with him is strange really ^^ Rebellion sounds like a good idea, actually. You wanna be Katniss? I'll be Joanne! Because…well, why the heck not? ^^**

**__********Foxluna: Uh, no. That's not it. Yugi is human during the day and is cursed to be a duel monster during the night, and Yami... well... that's a secret. And yes, the magic surged because it recognized that Yugi and Yami were compatible in terms of magic, and marriage.**

* * *

**Seto: I think that Ranko is going to sit in her own little dark corner and grow mushrooms now.**

**MMMG: What is with all the OHSHC references with you today?**

**Jounouchi: You know the drill! You know that the two authoresses don't anything that involves Yu-Gi-Oh or Shrek or Shrek the Musical. Both belong to their respected owners/creators. Blah, blah, blah. Disclaimer, disclaimer.**

**Yami: Well aren't you a little ray of sunshine?**

**Jounouchi: Disclaimers suck my soul out of my body through my nostrils. **

**Yugi: Not everyone can say, "They are own nothing!" like you do, Yami. **

**MMMG: That is why we don't let Yami do anything.**

**Yami: I thought you were on my side, Magi Magi!**

**MMMG:…I never said that. **

**Seto: Please enjoy reading chapter three.**

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

Needless to say, Joey and Reddoaizu had been impressed that the _Magician of Black Chaos_ had scared away the guards that were following them. And if a dragon couldn't do what the young magician had, then it was really amazing. Reddoaizu hummed as he shrank in size, something all dragons could do. Once he was down to the size of a house cat, Reddoaizu settled onto Joey's shoulders. Both of them wanted to stay with the magician for protection reasons, and the less space that the dragon took up, the better.

"Can I say something to you?" Joey asked as he followed Yami. "Listen, you was really, really, really something back here. Incredible!"

Yami growled once he realized he was being followed. Why couldn't the dragon tamer and his kitty sized dragon go somewhere else.

"Are you talking to me?" Yami asked turned with a frown on his face, only to discover Joey and this _Red Eyes_ were right behind him, practically nose-to-nose with him. "Whoa!"

Reacting instinctively, Yami took a step back in surprise and used a push of magic to force the two back a few paces. Joey stumbled a second, but recovered quickly. Reddoaizu hissed briefly as the magic rushed over them, but calmed down once his tamer had recovered his footing. Looking at the magician, and understanding the rush of panic he must have felt, Reddoaizu decided to intervene.

"Yes, he was talking to you." Reddoaizu said.

Yami hummed softly, not surprised the dragon spoke. All the dragon Duel Monsters could speak, but they were understood best if they were in their smaller cat size. They could still talk when they were big and full grown, but it sounded like roaring to the untrained ear.

"Can I tell you that you that you were great back here?" Joey grinned as Yami turned to start walking again. "Those guards! They were tripping over themselves to get away from you. That right there made me feel really good."

"Oh, that's great." Yami huffed, wishing that the dragon tamer would go away.

"But it is good to be free." Reddoaizu sighed as he stretched across Joey's shoulders. "Not locked up in a cage and being carted off to who knows where. Unlike those other Duel Monsters."

"What?" Yami stopped walking and focused on the dragon.

"Yeah." Joey nodded. "That's why we were running from those guards. All Duel Monsters have been banished from the Kingdom of Tagami. Even the _Kuribohs_ and _Marshmallons_ were banished under Princess Rebecca's orders."

"Any idea why?" Yami asked.

"No." Joey shook his head.

Yami sighed in aggravation. Now, on top of having to prepare the guest room and making sure that he and Mahad had enough to eat during his stay, he also had to refresh all of his traps to keep outsiders away from his home.

"Thanks for the info." Yami said as he started walking again. "Now why don't you two go celebrate your freedom with your own friends?"

"But… we don't have any friends." Joey mumbled, feeling a tad bit embarrassed. "Just each other."

"Oh, that's too bad." Yami snickered as he kept going and didn't look back.

Joey really didn't want to wander about the woods alone with the guards from Tagami rounding up Duel Monsters left and right. His best option was to stay close the _Magician of Black Chaos_, no matter how unfriendly he seemed.

"Maybe we can stick with you, just until the heat from the hunt dies down." Joey called after Yami as he ran after him. "You scare the spit out of anybody that crosses you."

Yami stopped walking and glared at Joey, feeling extremely annoyed. If it wasn't for the fact that Joey was the dragon tamer for one of the rarer and more ferocious types of dragons, he probably would have run away screaming. But now he only felt scared, but not too scared.

"That glare of yours is really scary." Joey chuckled nervously. "If you don't mind me saying."

Yami turned and walked away again, figuring that some nice silent treatment would get the message across. That blond haired dragon tamer was annoying! But Joey didn't seem to get the message as he kept following Yami. Finally, despite the silence, Yami got irritated at being followed while he checked and updated his traps, finally whirling around to face the tamer.

"Why are you following me?" Yami snapped.

"Because I'm alone, except for Reddoaizu." Joey replied. "The other Dragon Tamers think that he's too scary when he's full-sized and don't like having us around."

"They also probably hate your personality." Yami sneered. "With you pushing buttons by doing what they don't want you to do, it's no wonder that you don't have any friends."

"Only a true friend would be that cruelly honest." Reddoaizu commented as Joey winced.

Yami had hit the nail right on the head when it came to Joey's personality. Joey just liked to rile people up with his jokes and occasional pranks, but it had cost him some delicately balanced friendships that had been long ruined.

"Take a look at me, Dragon Tamer." Yami ordered. "What am I?"

"Uh..." Joey hummed as he looked Yami over, and wondered what he could say besides the obvious of a spellcaster type of Duel Monster. "Really short?

"No!" Yami snapped and sent a stinging spell at Joey, satisfied when the blond yelped in pain. "I'm a _Magician of Black Chaos_! You know, 'Grab your torch and pitchforks'. Doesn't that bother you?"

"Nope." Joey shook his head, grinning like a fool.

"Really?" Yami asked in disbelief, taken aback by the comment while raising an eyebrow.

"Really, really." Joey grinned. "But that spell you sent at me does bother me."

"Oh, good." Yami smirked. "I'll take note of that."

"I like you." Joey said, despite the stinging pain he still felt in his chest and the look Yami was giving him. "What's your name?"

"Uh, Yami." Yami grumbled as he turned to start walking again.

"Yami?" Joey let the name roll off his tongue and decided that 'darkness' did suit the magician rather well. "I'm Joey, and this is Reddoaizu."

"Lovely." Yami commented darkly as he kept walking, never once looking back over his shoulder at the following Dragon Tamer.

"Hey Yami?" Joey called as he jogged to keep up. "You got that kind of I-don't-care-what-nobody-thinks-of-me thing. I like that. I respect that. You're all right."

Yami rolled his eyes as they exited the forest and were met with the sight of the ruined castle. Most areas were stable by this point, but there were a few spots that still needed repairs before the area could be utilized.

"Whoa!" Joey gasped. "The castle ruins! No one ever comes here… Why are you here?"

"Those castles ruins would be my home." Yami replied as he started down the path he had made with his frequent trodding.

"That explains it." Joey muttered to himself as he noticed as large sign that read 'Don't cross this line. Temperamental magician behind' staked into the ground next to the path. "I guess you don't entertain much, do you?"

"I like my privacy." Yami replied shortly.

"Don't all magicians have a thing for privacy?" Joey asked.

"Mostly because we'd rather be left alone while we work on complicated spell that we use later to keep away intruders, like palace guards." Yami replied as he checked the final trap he kept in the courtyard of the castle.

It was actual a rather decent question on Joey's part. The trap was somewhat complex, but Yami definitely loved the results. There were certain stones in the courtyard, and if you walked on them, you would find yourself hanging off one of the castle turrets by your underwear. And today, he had three Tagami guards, one _Cyber Commander_, and a _Marshmallon_ that had been getting trapped for the past two weeks and just didn't get the idea that this area was booby trapped.

"Man, that is so cool." Joey grinned as he stood next to Yami, looking up at the stuck guards and Duel Monsters.

Yami chuckled. While the blond was annoying, he did recognize the results of a trap when he saw one, and apparently he liked this one.

"I know," Yami replied, rather proud of himself considering this is one of the first traps he made when he was younger that did not require Mahad's assistance.

With a wave of his staff, the guards and Duel Monsters were banished to a bog about 2 miles south of the castle. Yami would have sent Joey as well, but the spell only worked long ranged, like on the people stuck on the roof. He hadn't figured out how to get it to work short range yet. He gave himself a mental note to work on that.

"Can we stay with you?" Joey suddenly blurted out after a moment of awkward silence.

"What? Yami asked flatly.

"Can we stay with you, _please_?" Joey asked, making sure to add an emphasis to the 'please' to show Yami that he was being serious. "Just until the heat dies down."

"Of course!" Yami drawled out.

"Really?" Reddoaizu perked up.

"No." Yami replied flatly and turned to go inside so he could prepare Mahad's guest room.

"Please!" Joey grabbed Yami's ankles.

"Gah!" Yami cried, trying to shake Joey off his leg, but to no avail.

"I don't want to go back there!" Joey pleaded. "You don't know what it's like to be considered a freak."

Yami glared down at Joey. Looks like the blonds really were dumb, because… really? _He_ didn't know what it was like to be considered a freak? Puh-lease. He was a freak even by the Duel Monsters terms.

"Well, you do." Joey cringed at the look. "But that's why we've got to stick together. Please! You've got to let us stay! Please!"

"Okay! Okay!" Yami yelled, getting the blond to calm down. "But one night only."

"Thank you!" Joey replied as he ran past Yami into the castle.

"What are you…?" Yami demanded as Joey ran past and entered into his workshop. "No! No!"

"This is going to be fun!" Reddoaizu cheered from Joey's shoulders as he looked at the plants on one of the worktables.

"Yeah!" Joey agreed, not noticing the seething magician. "We can stay up late, swapping manly stories. And in the morning, I'm making waffles."

"Don't touch that!" Yami yelled as he pushed Joey away from a spell he had been working on for the past 3 weeks and into a chair, but it was too late; the bottle had crashed to the floor and shattered, little glass particles all around his feet. "Great."

"Ow..." Joey groaned as he corrected himself. "Where do I sleep?"

"Outside!" Yami shouted as he pointed with his glowing staff, seething that he had been too late to save the spell.

"Oh, well… I guess that's cool." Joey muttered as he shifted uncomfortable before standing up. "I mean, I don't know you, and you don't know me, so I guess outside is best, you know."

Yami rolled his eyes as Joey walked passed with a down trodden and upset Reddoaizu. Reddoaizu knew that Joey couldn't help being overly excited sometimes, but most of the time it really cost them, whether it be friends, food, or lodging.

"Good night." Joey sighed as he looked to the setting sun.

Yami slammed the door to his workshop shut. For once, he was actually looking forward to Mahad's arrival, but he would never tell the older magician that. Maybe he knew a spell to make the Dragon Tamer go away, but Yami doubted he would use it. He knew that as soon as Mahad found out that Joey pushed all of Yami's buttons, he would do everything in his power just to make the blond stay, just because he knew it would bother Yami.

But still, he defiantly preferred his master's company to the blond's. The sooner that Mahad got there, the better.

* * *

"I am going to ask you this one more time,_ Dark Magician_…" the sharp male spat the last word out like it was acid. "Tell me where the Tamer for the Red Eyes went! I know that you were there so I know that you saw the whole thing!"

The magician who was being spoken to was hanging from the ceiling by manacles. His staff was in another room entirely and he was stripped of his magician robes, just in case. It looked as if he had no physical injuries —besides the bruises on his wrists that had formed from hanging from the ceiling by rusty chains and the welts that remained from the whips— but he was sweating profusely and it looked as if he were about to be sick.

The magician stayed silent and just smirked at the man. The sharper gentleman scowled. That low scum! How dare he look at him —Duke Devlin, captain of the guards— in such a disrespectful way! Duke composed himself and smoothed out his hair.

"You know, I heard an interesting fact about magicians, especially older, rarer magicians, such as yourself." Duke said.

The Dark Magician licked his dry lips.

"You don't have but _one_ weakness, am I right?" Duke asked in a taunting manner.

The Dark Magician lowered his head to avoid looking into Duke's eyes. The green eyes cut at him like a knife, and it felt just as painful.

"All of your power is generated into one item." Duke continued. "You tend to keep this item hidden from everyone else because if this item were to fall into the wrong hands, they could do anything to you, couldn't they? They could control you, or even kill you."

"If you are asking where I have hidden the Keep, you have another thing coming," the Dark Magician said in a low, threatening tone.

"Oh…" Duke said, putting a hand to his chest in a sort of humble manner. "I know _you _would never tell us anything that important."

Duke turned away, as if he had given up. But then he stopped and looked over his shoulder at the magician. The icy grin on the captain's face unsettled him.

"But maybe somebody else could, under the right…" Duke looked thoughtful in the middle distance for a moment, searching for the right word. "Persuasion."

"What do you mean?" Mahad asked worriedly.

"You have been looking for someone very important to you for many years, have you not?" Duke asked before waving his hand in a dismissing manner. "She was your childhood friend? Or was she your apprentice? No matter."

Duke smirked when he saw the look on the magician's face. Seems like he'd hit the nail on the head.

"Well, it turns out we found her first." Duke said, shrugging nonchalantly. "I guess mistakes just happen, am I right? She's right downstairs, actually. I would love to talk to her, maybe she would know where your Keep is!" Duke snapped his fingers, as if this thought had just come to him. "Maybe she knows, maybe she doesn't, but for her sake, let's hope that she does."

The _Dark Magician_ growled low in his throats and thrashed in his bondage, the chains rattling and legs swinging around in fury as he kicked blindly at Duke. At first he thought that the guards had managed to capture Yami, but when he heard that it was Mana, the apprentice that he had taken on after Yami had left to study on his own, rage filled him. She wouldn't be able to protect herself from these men.

"You will not lay a finger on Mana, do you understand me?" Mahad yelled in fury. "If you do, I swear by the gods that I will kill you!"

"You are a violent one, aren't you, Mahad?" Duke clicked his tongue at him. "I thought that magician were supposed to be peace-lovers…"

"Duke…" a new voice interrupted them.

They both turned to see Princess Rebecca standing in the entrance to Mahad's cell. Her figure was tiny but her whole presence took up the entire room. Duke bowed deeply at the waist as she passed him.

"My lady…" Duke said in respect.

"That is enough of your treatment, Duke." Rebecca said harshly.

Duke opened his mouth as if he were about to say something but then his mouth snapped shut.

"Yes, my lady." Duke replied.

"I will talk to him now, leave us," Rebecca said, her eyes never leaving Mahad's dangling form.

"I cannot just allow you to stay here alone with such a dangerous and old magician." Duke protested. "You don't know what they are capable of!"

"Are you questioning my intelligence?" Rebecca turned the evil eye on him. "Do you think me to be dense? Do not treat me like a child, Duke! I am your future Queen and your future Queen will not tolerate anyone insulting her intelligence!"

Duke shriveled in on himself slightly. He was ashamed to say that the Princess may have started him a little bit.

"I understand, my lady." Duke said as he bowed again. "Please forgive me, my lady."

"Stop being so pathetic, Duke." Rebecca scoffed. "And I will not be completely alone, there will be guards by the doors just in case anything happens. Now go."

Duke stood there, rooted to his spot, a little while longer, still hesitant to leave. The vein on Rebecca's forward popped up.

"Now!" Rebecca commanded more harshly.

Duke gave a quick flinch, bowed one final time, and then got out of there quickly, afraid of the Princess's rage. Rebecca composed herself, straightening her hair and brushing the nonexistent lint off her skirt. She turned to the magician who just hung there silently, staring at the princess with a mixture of calmness and anger.

"Well, then, this is quite interesting." Rebecca smirked at him. "I must say that it is an honor to be in your presence. You are such an old and wise Duel Monster."

"In all my years, I have never seen anyone do what you are doing, this inhuman act." Mahad said in a low, raspy voice. "How can you do this? Why?"

"You will not speak to me like that, you filthy abomination," Rebecca spat out as a scowled contorted her delicate features. "I have every right to do this and you will not question what I do! I am your Queen. I own you."

Mahad barely kept himself from scoffing. _She _owned _him_? Oh that was a good one. What did she think he was, a slave? He was a Duel Monster, not some mindless slave who bowed to her every wish. Rebecca narrowed her eyes at Mahad who continued to stare back at her with a neutral expression.

"You… you Duel Monsters should be grateful I am allowing you to live." Rebecca sneered. "All of your kind are just cruel, cold-hearted monsters."

Mahad thought of the Dragon Tamer from earlier who had risked his life and his safety to save those innocent Duel Monsters that were being locked up by this woman's… no, this _child's_ order. He began to wonder who the real monster was in this situation.

Rebecca took a few calming breaths and counted to ten. Her anger was getting the better of her, she had to keep her cool. She couldn't let this _Dark Magician _see her lose control.

"But no matter." Rebecca said, smiling pleasantly.

'_If sharks could smile that is what they would look like._' Mahad thought.

"I heard an interesting bit of news," Rebecca said, folding her hands together as if she were having a casual conversation of tea. "You were spotted in a small village in the country side of Tagami where Duel Monsters were being gathered. Also there was a Dragon Tamer, but not just any Dragon Tamer, a Tamer that controlled the infamous Red Eyes Black Dragon."

Mahad pursed his lips and shifted, his chains rattling above his head. Rebecca's smile sharpened.

"This Tamer set free those Duel Monsters that were being captured and then fled into the woods." Rebecca narrowed her eyes at him. "My soldiers would have been able to catch him… if it hadn't been for you. You helped the Tamer escape, now answer me this: Where did the Tamer go?"

Mahad's mind immediately began to work. Judging from which direction the Tamer ran, Mahad could safely assume that eventually he would have run into Yami or Yami's castle. Mahad spared a brief moment to silently laugh as he imagined Yami faced with the bright Dragon Tamer.

"Why do you want to know so badly?" Mahad asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because of the rarity of it." Rebecca replied.

Mahad hated that word… "it". He especially hated that many people in this land referred to the Duel Monsters as "its".

"You are planning to sell rare Duel Monsters for a profit?" Mahad asked, feeling sick by the idea.

"My reasoning is much more meaningful than that." Rebecca immediately shook her head.

"Which is what?" Mahad asked.

Mahad thought for a brief moment he saw the walls in Rebecca's eyes begin to break and he saw what she truly was: just a little girl. Now that he took a moment to look at her, she couldn't be more than thirteen. And here she was, telling him that she would be future Queen. And at such a young age. She was probably afraid, confused, and lonely. She wasn't fit to take on that much responsibility when she was still just a child.

It can be said that Mahad had a special place in his heart for children. It breaks his heart when he sees lost little children. He supposes that is what drew him to Yami and his latest apprentice, Mana.

Rebecca looked like she wanted to say something but she was interrupted whenever a young man with unnaturally spiked brown hair came rushing in, looking rather anxious. The man stopped short as he surveyed the situation. He looked sympathetically —almost apologetically— up at Mahad and then turned back to Rebecca who was looking at him rather impatiently. The man gulped and bowed low at the waist, mostly so he wouldn't have to stare into Rebecca's cold eyes any longer than he had to.

"My lady, after searching the kingdom restlessly, we have found what you are looking for." Tristan said, nearly tripping over his words a few times.

Mahad couldn't help but wonder what this thing was that she wanted found but he figured it must be something important due to Rebecca's reaction. Her face brightened with hopefulness and triumph.

"Perfect, take me to it." Rebecca said, and before she left, she looked over her shoulder at Mahad and grinned at him. "Don't belittle me again, magician."

Mahad gulped. He had a very bad feeling about this.

* * *

**Ranko: End of chapter. We seem to have a thing for cliffhangers lately. **

**MMMG: Yep. **

**Jou: I thought Rebecca was going to meet with the Goddess with the Third Eye this chapter?**

**MMMG: To long, I'm sleepy, it's 1 AM where I am right now. **

**Ranko: Yep, we're insane. Updating at all hours like this. Or at least, MMMG is.**

**MMMG: ZZZZZZZZZZZZ. **

**Yugi: She's sleeping. **

**Yami: About time. **

**Seto: Please review and let us know you're likes/dislikes, it you saw any spelling/grammar issues, or if you just have a question. **

**Ranko: Until next time, bye!**

******MMMG: ZZZZZZZZZZZZ. **


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